06/05/2026
I took my 2-year-old to Chicago and, in the spirit of transparency, here’s the trip recap:
• Traveling with a toddler and a car seat is basically an Olympic sport. Fun fact: Uber doesn’t offer car seat options in Chicago. Rental cars do… if you also rent the car seat. Apparently my master plan of public transit, airport shuttles (that stop running at 10 p.m. when your flight lands at 1 a.m.), and blind optimism was flawed.
• I packed a stroller. My toddler packed strong opinions. The stroller lost. So I carried her across approximately all of Chicago.
• During a quick Target run, she tripped, face-planted into a refrigerator, and there was enough blood to send everyone into full emergency mode. Me? Panicked. My friends? Panicked. Target employees? Also panicked. Thankfully, she was okay.
But here’s the thing: motherhood was never meant to be done alone. The best part of the trip wasn’t the city; it was being surrounded by people who love my daughter like their own. She had extra arms to hold her, extra hearts looking out for her, and when things went sideways (as they often do with toddlers), I had support.
Because behind every mom who’s “doing it all” is usually a village quietly helping hold everything together.
10/10 memories.
3/10 relaxation.
Would absolutely travel with my village again 🫶🏻